Due to rising water temperatures, loss of habitat, and pollution, a dramatic decrease in the global honeybee population has recently been reported. The possible extinction of the honeybee population could affect crop growth immensely. Without honeybees around there would be a great lack in resources that depend on pollination to take place.
This recent decline in the honeybee population is an arising chaotic mess for not only the U.S, but internationally as well. Nearly one third of the world's crops are reliant on honeybees for pollination (that's nearly 30 billion dollars of the U.S’s crops alone.)
Considering the other factors involved in the recent decline, poor weather is only a minor factor. The main culprit is the pesticides covering the pollen. According to Quartz’s Article by Todd Woody, “The pollen was contaminated on average with nine different pesticides and fungicides though scientists discovered 21 agricultural chemicals in one sample. Scientists identified eight agricultural chemicals associated with increased risk of infection by the parasite.”
The lack of honeybees threatens not only what we eat but farmer’s business as well. Honeybees pollinate 130 crops in the U.S such as apples, mangoes, nectarines, cabbage, and other fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Labels have decorated pesticides in order to warn farmers of their possible side-effects. These pesticides are vital to remove certain pests and fungi from crops but were not intended to remove and kill the bees.
In just the last ten years, over 40 percent of the bee colonies in the US have suffered Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Bees ingest the pesticide becoming lost in a daze, not able to find their way back to their hive, or they end up dying don their way back home.
Organizations have been trying to find a solution to this catastrophe as soon as possible. According to Reuter’s News Service there may be a way to save the bees, “Planting strips or patches of wild flowers could attract pollinators to fields of crops, and reduced use of pesticides or a shift to organic farming could also restrict the damage. Smallholder farmers in Africa could let wild plants grow on part of their land, people in cities could plant flowers in their back gardens or window boxes.”
An 11th grade student here at Harrison High School (anonymous) says, “I feel that the decline in honeybees is a scary thought to acknowledge. Honeybees pollinate so many everyday foods that I can consume. If we don't find a solution that lasts, there could be severe effects on everyone. We will have to adapt to a new way of life. Some cultures don't even accept certain foods into their diet, they are already eating specific types of food. If the food that they're permitted to eat becomes extinct, then they will have to break their religious dietary requirements in order to live a healthy lifestyle. This will also affects many people whose jobs depend on the agricultural business. They too, will have to find a new way to make a living. I hope a solution can be found so that it won't have to come to this.”
Another junior at Harrison High, Anne-Marie Dillon said, “The decline of the honeybee population is a problem that is largely yet to be fully understood, but pesticides play a major part in causing issues such as the colony collapse syndrome that plague honeybee hives. As a beekeeper, I’ve noticed a promising uptick in the amount of press/attention paid to the issue, and the beekeeping community is stronger than ever. The decline in the honeybee population could prove catastrophic; they’re one of our most important pollinators. It's scary as a beekeeper to first hand witness the honeybee colonies of friends dying off.”
The lowering numbers of honeybee populations is an ongoing problem that is yet to be solved. Hopefully, with the assistance of removing certain pesticides and shedding more light on the topic, more will see the true consequences of this issue.
